Article by Emma van WoerkomIt’s a wonderful moment when a book is finished. You close it, holding tight to a story that has captivated you within its simple card covers and the satisfaction of knowing something, or someone a little better for all your reading efforts.

For many, many years Lynn Trowbridge was the Chairperson of Hay Writers’ Circle. She telephoned us each fortnight to remind us to turn up and ‘darling, have you written something new’ was always the first point of discussion after the niceties of current health and family were confirmed. She always had something new, she always spurred us on – she still does!

Now, no longer our Chairperson, but still our dear friend and keenest supporter, she has finally had the time to complete her memoirs. ‘A Life Is What You Get’ is the wonderful story of Lynn, as she notes – “an episodic series of (sixty six) unsentimental short stories” that everyone agrees, is simply hard to put down!

It spans Lynn’s early years as an orphan in a Dickensian styled ‘Children’s ‘ome’, her time in the WRAF, numerous scrapes, some lucky escapes, the years as a successful business woman, to more recent happier times living in Hay-on-Wye. Throughout these stories Lynn’s sense of humour and unshakable determination shine through. I mean, at ninety one years old, publishing her first book – now already in its third edition – she is still a force to be reckoned with, and she still asks me if I’ve written anything new!

Barbara Erskine, bestselling author of twelve novels, wrote “I enjoyed it so much. It is brilliant and funny, poignant and engaging, fascinating and I literally couldn’t put it down.”

Juliet Foster, Hay Writers’ Chairperson declared it, “a gripping story. A fascinating life so very well told. I could not put it down. At times I wept, at others I laughed aloud.”

Lynn is now enjoying the benefits of all her hard work. 5 Star reviews on Amazon.co.uk, her publication stocked in a number of Book Shops and various articles and reviews on ‘A Life Is What You Get’ in local newspapers and magazines.

Grab your copy, sit back and dive into a really good, gripping story – I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down either!

Review by Emma van Woerkom 2015

A Life Is What You Get by Lynn M. Trowbridge is published by Read Fox Books.
Paperback edition priced £6.99 – ISBN – 978 0993256400
It is available to buy from most good Bookshops or online at Amazon.co.uk

2 Responses to A Life Is What You Get by Lynn M. Trowbridge

By far, the best read I’ve had in a few years. I was touched to tears by the loss these young sisters experienced. It was so interesting that i could not put it down and finished it in 3 days. I’ve never read any book of that length so quickly. I could not wait to see what the next page held for me and what emotions would be stirred. Beautifully and humorously very well written. Extremely enjoyable, entertaining and highly recommended.